Call for Papers
Diotima’s: A Journal of New Readings
ISSN: 2319-4189
Theme for Vol. 14: Literary Studies in the Age of AI
The PG & Research Department of English, Providence Women’s College, Kozhikode, invites papers for the 2024 issue of its annual journal, Diotima’s: A Journal of New Readings. We welcome well researched and theoretically grounded research papers from academicians and research scholars from the Departments of English, Media Studies, Gender Studies, Philosophy, Social Sciences and other interdisciplinary areas pertaining to the broad area of Literary Studies in the Age of AI. There is no publication fee and the papers will be selected based on a blind peer review process.
We are on the cusp of a fascinating paradox, with the digital tide remoulding human imagination. Algorithms compose ballads, robotics dream in lyrical lines and literature stands at the precipice of a revolution. With dystopian anxieties about the death of the human author, we are witnessing the birth of a new paradigm. It is not simply about Human Vs. Machine, but about a symphonic convergence where boundaries blur between human and machine intelligence and narratives morph into hybrid tapestries.
The next issue of Diotima’s seeks to delve into the epistemological implications of AI on literary studies. How does AI, once envisioned as a cold, calculating entity, now play a role in the messy, multifaceted terrain of human imagination? Can AI unlock novel pathways to empathy, understanding, and connection? Can it push the boundaries of human imagination, opening doors to previously unimaginable realms of narrative possibility? We invite scholars to explore the myriad ways in which AI is reshaping storytelling, from augmenting existing forms to birthing entirely new genres.
The ever-widening field of AI-generated literature necessitates a re-examination of conventional understandings surrounding authorship, agency and construction of meaning. This offers a fertile ground for theorizing creativity amidst technological symbiosis. How can AI tools enrich our comprehension of literary texts? What challenges and opportunities arise while applying computational methods to literary studies? Does a sonnet penned by an algorithm evoke the same emotional resonance as one born out of a human soul or does it yield a richer, more nuanced expression?
We welcome contributions that explore the risks and rewards of AI-generated narratives, the potential biases woven into algorithms, and the impact of these narratives on human consciousness.
Literary representations of AI, from Asimov’s robots, Stanley Robinson’s Hadalyns, to Ishiguro’s Klara and Peng Shepherd’s AI library have served as mirrors reflecting our anxieties and aspirations around technological progress. Movies and novels like Men, M3GAN, Project Hail Mary, Sea of Whispers etc. have moved on from concepts like Frankenstein Complex, Uncanny Valley and Erewhon Phobia offering fresh perspectives on AI integration into human identity and relationships. Diotima’s 2024 invites scholars to investigate the continuities and transformations of these and other anxieties in contemporary narratives. How do such fictional worlds provide frameworks for understanding the ethical dilemmas we face in the real world?
As we tread this unfamiliar ground, ethical considerations are of paramount importance. Papers addressing the ethical dimensions of AI-generated literature, the responsible use of AI tools in literary research, and the societal implications of AI narratives are particularly welcome. By scrutinizing the ethical contours of AI in literature, we aim to foster a deeper understanding of the responsibilities that accompany the integration of technology into the process of creative expression.
Thrust areas can include, but not necessarily be limited to:
- The impact of AI on language and imagination
- AI & Robotics as represented in literature
- Literary criticism and analysis in the AI Age
- Ethical concerns regarding AI-driven writing and research
- Theorising AI-driven literature
- AI and the ‘death’ of the author
- The future of storytelling fuelled by AI
- AI and gender
- AI and translation
- AI and activism
- AI and identity
Those interested in contributing to this volume may email their articles to diotimajournal@gmail.com. The papers will undergo blind peer reviewing and the contributors will be intimated regarding the selection of their papers shortly.
Last date for submission of papers: April 15, 2024
Word Limit: 2500-4000 words
Format: MLA Style 9th edition
Font – Times New Roman, Size-12, Line space 1.5
Email: diotimajournal@gmail.com